View report page

Coal is a raw material from which can be produced a host
of invaluable chemicals and compounds, including dyes,medicines,
liquid fuels and gas, all of which are lost when coal is used in
its raw state for heating.
All factory chimneys in the area are kept under observation
and contraventions of the byelaws have been dealt with.
298 observations of 30 minutes duration were made during the year
and during these observations black smoke was emitted for a period
of 134 minutes which represents an average of approximately
minute in every 30 minutes observation. It has been found that
contraventions are best dealt with by advice being given to
factory owners by your officers who are suitably qualified for
the work rather than by the institution of legal proceedings.
In this way several improvements to furnace installations have
been secured which have resulted in a reduction in smoke pollution
of the atmosphere.
Further progress in this direction is somewhat hampered by
a long delay in the delivery of furnace equipment. This is
specially true of installations designed to consume fuel such as
wood chips and sawdust, several of which are to be found in the
Borough. Unless strict attention is given to proper methods of
stoking, these installations can cause nuisance from smoke or wood
ash and your officers are alert to ensure that this necessary
attention is given.
Several installations are due for replacement as soon as
more modern equipment becomes available. When such replacements
are made, or when now installations are set up, efforts are made
to secure plans of the boiler for approval prior to its erection.
In this way it is possible to ensure that the boiler is of such
design or is fitted with such equipment as will reduce the risk
of atmospheric pollution to a minimum.
That the task of reducing atmospheric pollution is an
important one is obvious when one considers the large sum of money
that has to be spent annually to make good the damage caused by
smoke, and the many hours of cleaning made necessary by a dirty
atmosphere. This has been estimated to be in the region of
£100,000,000 per year. What is not always considered, however,
is the interference by smoke with the beneficial ultra violet
rays of the sun and the pollution of the soil which interferes
with the growth of crops in gardens and allotments.
17